t on 



winter camp-fires. On a few occasions mountain 

 lions interrupted my thoughts with their pier- 

 cing, lonely cries ; and more than once a reverie 

 was pleasantly changed by the whisper of a chick- 

 adee in some near-by tree as a cold comrade 

 snuggled up to it. Even during the worst of 

 nights, when I thought of my lot at all. I con- 

 sidered it better than that of those who were sick 

 in houses or asleep in the stuffy, deadly air of the 

 slums. 



" Believe me, 't is something to be cast 

 Face to face with thine own self at last." 



Not all nights were spent outdoors. Many a 

 royal evening was passed in the cabin of a miner 

 or a prospector, or by the fireside of a family who 

 for some reason had left the old home behind and 

 sought seclusion in wild scenes, miles from neigh- 

 bors. Among Colorado's mountains there are an 

 unusual number of strong characters who are try- 

 ing again. They are strong because broken plans, 

 lost fortunes, or shattered health elsewhere have 

 not ended their efforts or changed their ideals. 

 Many are trying to restore health, some are trying 

 again to prosper, others are just making a start in 



6 



